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Ballsy Boys #1
Rebel
I’m everyone’s friend, but no one’s everything…
I love working for Ballsy Boys, but when you make the kind of videos I do, relationships are pretty damn impossible. Guys find me sexy and want to either be with me or be me, but no one has ever cared enough to see the real me.
Until I meet Troy...who shows up in a banana suit at my door. Long story.
Troy has no problem whatsoever with my job, but he’s determined to keep me at a distance. I get it, he’s been hurt before. But for the first time, a hook-up alone is not enough. I want more with him. Hell, I want everything. But he resists at every step until I’m about ready to give up. What do I need to do to show him that what we have is real and worth fighting for?
** Rebel is the first book in the Ballsy Boys Series and is a sexy, emotional MM romance that will make you fall in love with all the Ballsy Boys. While this book and this series do contain some instances of sex outside of the main relationships, there’s NO cheating.
I love working for Ballsy Boys, but when you make the kind of videos I do, relationships are pretty damn impossible. Guys find me sexy and want to either be with me or be me, but no one has ever cared enough to see the real me.
Until I meet Troy...who shows up in a banana suit at my door. Long story.
Troy has no problem whatsoever with my job, but he’s determined to keep me at a distance. I get it, he’s been hurt before. But for the first time, a hook-up alone is not enough. I want more with him. Hell, I want everything. But he resists at every step until I’m about ready to give up. What do I need to do to show him that what we have is real and worth fighting for?
** Rebel is the first book in the Ballsy Boys Series and is a sexy, emotional MM romance that will make you fall in love with all the Ballsy Boys. While this book and this series do contain some instances of sex outside of the main relationships, there’s NO cheating.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 31, 2018
691 people are currently reading
1555 people want to read
About the author
K.M. Neuhold
101 books3,286 followersK.M.Neuhold has long since been a romance junkie. When she’s not writing she’s reading or spending time snuggling with her husky or her husband. She fell in love with M/M romance last year and hasn’t been able to turn back. There’s nothing she loves more than love in all its forms.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 527 reviews
July 19, 2018
WOW, this book was soooo much more than I'd honestly expected.
First off, IT WAS FREAKING FILTHY.
Dirty, dirty, duuuuuurty in the steam department.
Am I complaining? Well... no. It is a story about gay porn stars, FFS. hehe
As the story began, I really wasn't sure if this was just going to be porn with the slimmest margin of plot. That was certainly how it felt toward the beginning.
(For example, this was Troy, when Hendrix did his most favorite sex thing ever, heh.)
Then things changed. And there were feels. Lots of really good ones, all while keeping the angst to manageable levels.
Somehow, in the middle of the butt-load of sex (pun slightly intended), these two "not-looking-for-ANYTHING-serious" guys bonded, without even completely realizing it, which was a thing of beauty to witness.
I adored seeing Troy start to open up, not only to Hendrix (aka 'Rebel'), but also to Mason, his first true friend, despite his best efforts to push people away to avoid the pain of rejection.
I also loved how, once Troy and Hendrix were together, that wasn't really the end of the story. From there, Hendrix helped Troy begin to overcome his underlying issues of rejection.
Bottom line is that I wasn't expecting much more than a porny, fun dick-fest, but got a whole lot more than that, so I'd rate this one at around 4.25 stars and definitely recommend it.
** Note to authors:
Please, for the love of God, stop repeatedly describing Pixie as an "imp" over and over and over and motherfucking over again. It got super old, super quick.
Also, "releasing a breath he didn't even know he was holding"... Waaaaay 4 years ago and overused, even way back then.
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January 11, 2020
Audiobook 4 stars
Story 3 stars
I liked it.
-Porn stars
-Likable Characters
-I loved Rebel his character was refreshing, down to earth just my type. I liked Troy, even though he was exhausting most of the time. Man got issues.
-The writing was ok. But please retire this... "I released a breath i didn't even know i was holding." 🙄
-The sex scenes were hot and the rimming on another level.
The secondary characters were amazing too. Pixie and Bear caught my attention... Tank, Mason and Heart. I hope their books are interesting.
Overall it was a good read.
Story 3 stars
I liked it.
-Porn stars
-Likable Characters
-I loved Rebel his character was refreshing, down to earth just my type. I liked Troy, even though he was exhausting most of the time. Man got issues.
-The writing was ok. But please retire this... "I released a breath i didn't even know i was holding." 🙄
-The sex scenes were hot and the rimming on another level.
The secondary characters were amazing too. Pixie and Bear caught my attention... Tank, Mason and Heart. I hope their books are interesting.
Overall it was a good read.
February 23, 2024
4**** stars
With this ad the story begins. And with Troy, unknowingly, wearing a hilarious banana costume, on his way to deliver the news of his imminent breakup to his favorite porn star, Rebel.
Guys, this was A LOT of fun to read and a great introduction into the series. After my last one I needed a bit of a pick-me-up-read and this one delivered fabulously. And this is what you get:
☆ porn studio setup
☆ friends with benefits
☆ great bunch of main and side characters
☆ fun moments and dialogues
☆ entertaining storyline
☆ convincing a commitment phobe
☆ sweet HEA
This book wasn't quite as smutty as I'd expected (and honestly would've liked) and it got a bit sappy at the end but it was still a super enjoyable read. I'm def ready Tank next.
***************
Ballsy Boys Series
Book 1 - Rebel - 4.0 stars
Book 2 - Tank - 4.25 stars
Book 3 - Heart - 3.5 stars
Book 4 - Campy
Book 5 - Pixie
Break-up artist for hire: Why go through the hassle and mess of breaking up with someone when you can pay me to do it for you? You can choose the method or just let me worry about the dirty details, and you can focus on picking your next lady or lad. Don’t stay stuck in a bad relationship a minute longer. Email me now!
With this ad the story begins. And with Troy, unknowingly, wearing a hilarious banana costume, on his way to deliver the news of his imminent breakup to his favorite porn star, Rebel.
Guys, this was A LOT of fun to read and a great introduction into the series. After my last one I needed a bit of a pick-me-up-read and this one delivered fabulously. And this is what you get:
☆ porn studio setup
☆ friends with benefits
☆ great bunch of main and side characters
☆ fun moments and dialogues
☆ entertaining storyline
☆ convincing a commitment phobe
☆ sweet HEA
“Wow, this is getting heavy. I feel like we need a quickie or something to make this easier.”
This book wasn't quite as smutty as I'd expected (and honestly would've liked) and it got a bit sappy at the end but it was still a super enjoyable read. I'm def ready Tank next.
***************
Ballsy Boys Series
Book 1 - Rebel - 4.0 stars
Book 2 - Tank - 4.25 stars
Book 3 - Heart - 3.5 stars
Book 4 - Campy
Book 5 - Pixie
September 9, 2018
3.5 Hearts
This was my first experience with both of these authors and while it had the potential to be a weightier read it was actually low angst, fluffy and sexy. It's also a nice introduction to a series featuring gay porn stars affiliated with a studio that bears a striking resemblance to the Cocky Boys.
Rebel is a Ballsy Boys staple who reminded me of Tayte. *growls*
NOT MAD AT IT! Heart eyes for days where Tayte is concerned.
Troy is a struggling college student who is trying to make ends meet by any means necessary including breaking up with others' paramours for them for money which lands him on Rebel's doorstep. In a banana suit. WITH WEED in there! Somewhere?
I digress.
Troy, being a porn star aficionado, of course recognizes Rebel right away. It just so happens Rebel is his #1 porn star crush so... one thing leads to another and these two have a sexy little friends with bennies thing happening.
I struggled with Troy a bit. He seemed sort of one note to me and Rebel is so outgoing with a charming bonhomie about him that I had trouble understanding their connection. Above and beyond their sexual compatibility, that is.
Troy has a childhood that is rife with hardships that has left him unwilling to make himself vulnerable to anyone. The feelings he has for Rebel he keeps channeling back into sex which works for awhile but Rebel is fairly dogged in his pursuit of more.
Make no mistake, Rebel makes good usage of the porn star angle. These two have large and in charge sexual appetites and are ready to go at a moment's notice. That pool scene... U.N.F.
The authors did a good job of building their relationship by utilizing dual perspectives. The progression from casual to more serious feelings between them was discernible. However, once they commit to being exclusive the story felt like it hit the fast forward button especially with Troy's ability to 180 on his relationship aversion. Some of the events and even his facing his feelings required some suspension of disbelief but it aligned with the overall tone of the narrative.
The secondary characters are what really caught my attention, though. I don't even have words for how much I want Bear and Pixie's book. Silver fox + twink?!!?!!!! Please kink gods, let them be kinky. Just a lil? Pretty please? With sugar on top? I can throw in some cuffs to sweeten the deal? #giver
But really, all of the other porn stars piqued my interest: Tank, Brewer and Heart. But I also really liked Troy's nerdy friend Mason. He needs someone that'll treat him better than his tool of an ex-boyfriend.
I'm antsy to continue the series and if you're looking for a light and sexy read, you've found it.
A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first experience with both of these authors and while it had the potential to be a weightier read it was actually low angst, fluffy and sexy. It's also a nice introduction to a series featuring gay porn stars affiliated with a studio that bears a striking resemblance to the Cocky Boys.
Rebel is a Ballsy Boys staple who reminded me of Tayte. *growls*
NOT MAD AT IT! Heart eyes for days where Tayte is concerned.
Troy is a struggling college student who is trying to make ends meet by any means necessary including breaking up with others' paramours for them for money which lands him on Rebel's doorstep. In a banana suit. WITH WEED in there! Somewhere?
I digress.
Troy, being a porn star aficionado, of course recognizes Rebel right away. It just so happens Rebel is his #1 porn star crush so... one thing leads to another and these two have a sexy little friends with bennies thing happening.
I struggled with Troy a bit. He seemed sort of one note to me and Rebel is so outgoing with a charming bonhomie about him that I had trouble understanding their connection. Above and beyond their sexual compatibility, that is.
Troy has a childhood that is rife with hardships that has left him unwilling to make himself vulnerable to anyone. The feelings he has for Rebel he keeps channeling back into sex which works for awhile but Rebel is fairly dogged in his pursuit of more.
Make no mistake, Rebel makes good usage of the porn star angle. These two have large and in charge sexual appetites and are ready to go at a moment's notice. That pool scene... U.N.F.
The authors did a good job of building their relationship by utilizing dual perspectives. The progression from casual to more serious feelings between them was discernible. However, once they commit to being exclusive the story felt like it hit the fast forward button especially with Troy's ability to 180 on his relationship aversion. Some of the events and even his facing his feelings required some suspension of disbelief but it aligned with the overall tone of the narrative.
The secondary characters are what really caught my attention, though. I don't even have words for how much I want Bear and Pixie's book. Silver fox + twink?!!?!!!! Please kink gods, let them be kinky. Just a lil? Pretty please? With sugar on top? I can throw in some cuffs to sweeten the deal? #giver
But really, all of the other porn stars piqued my interest: Tank, Brewer and Heart. But I also really liked Troy's nerdy friend Mason. He needs someone that'll treat him better than his tool of an ex-boyfriend.
I'm antsy to continue the series and if you're looking for a light and sexy read, you've found it.
A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
February 26, 2020
3.5 Stars
A solid start to this porn-tastic M/M series, that nicely surprised in terms of character depth and emotional oomph.
Although the backdrop here is gay porn, with at least one of the Ballsy Boys featuring in each story, this was not merely a titillating smut-fest, as I may have initially prejudged it to be.
Authors Neuhold and Phoenix know how to bring the heat between the sheets, that is not in question, but thankfully they were also able to deliver a sweet romance, featuring two main characters that had great chemistry together, as well as (fairly) relatable personal backgrounds and hopes and dreams worth fighting for.
Beyond the sexual chemistry that initially brought MCs Rebel and Troy together, they also formed an easy friendship which was hugely beneficial to the growth and happiness of each character for different reasons. In many ways this felt like a friends-to-lovers story, even though the men were strangers when they first hooked up. It was through the strength and speed of their new friendship, even when they were still calling one another friends-with-benefits, that it was so very easy to believe in their romantic relationship when they finally owned up to their feelings for one another.
Interestingly, the porn star thing never really factored into the will they/won’t they work as a couple equation. Instead, it was Troy – the one who wasn’t a porn star – who struggled the most when coming to terms with the realities of his relationship with Rebel. Troy’s deeply ingrained commitment and abandonment issues, caused from long-term emotional hang-ups from a childhood of rejection and loss, resulted in Troy doing everything he could to avoid admitting to a deeper connection with Rebel, even when his feelings were trying to override his pesky pessimistic brain.
Troy’s issues were plentiful, and although I understood his reasoning for pushing Rebel away, I still found myself not liking him or caring about him as much as I wanted to. Rebel, on the other hand, was a real sweetheart – porn star professional and all. I liked how he owned up to his feelings and went about winning skittish Troy over, for keeps. I also really liked his hippy family and his friendships with his fellow Ballsy Boys, which added an extra element of likability to his character and the bigger story.
Overall, this was a fun and satisfying read... and a hot one at that! I look forward to reading more from this series now that all the key Ballsy Boys players have been well-established.
A solid start to this porn-tastic M/M series, that nicely surprised in terms of character depth and emotional oomph.
Although the backdrop here is gay porn, with at least one of the Ballsy Boys featuring in each story, this was not merely a titillating smut-fest, as I may have initially prejudged it to be.
Authors Neuhold and Phoenix know how to bring the heat between the sheets, that is not in question, but thankfully they were also able to deliver a sweet romance, featuring two main characters that had great chemistry together, as well as (fairly) relatable personal backgrounds and hopes and dreams worth fighting for.
Beyond the sexual chemistry that initially brought MCs Rebel and Troy together, they also formed an easy friendship which was hugely beneficial to the growth and happiness of each character for different reasons. In many ways this felt like a friends-to-lovers story, even though the men were strangers when they first hooked up. It was through the strength and speed of their new friendship, even when they were still calling one another friends-with-benefits, that it was so very easy to believe in their romantic relationship when they finally owned up to their feelings for one another.
Interestingly, the porn star thing never really factored into the will they/won’t they work as a couple equation. Instead, it was Troy – the one who wasn’t a porn star – who struggled the most when coming to terms with the realities of his relationship with Rebel. Troy’s deeply ingrained commitment and abandonment issues, caused from long-term emotional hang-ups from a childhood of rejection and loss, resulted in Troy doing everything he could to avoid admitting to a deeper connection with Rebel, even when his feelings were trying to override his pesky pessimistic brain.
Troy’s issues were plentiful, and although I understood his reasoning for pushing Rebel away, I still found myself not liking him or caring about him as much as I wanted to. Rebel, on the other hand, was a real sweetheart – porn star professional and all. I liked how he owned up to his feelings and went about winning skittish Troy over, for keeps. I also really liked his hippy family and his friendships with his fellow Ballsy Boys, which added an extra element of likability to his character and the bigger story.
Overall, this was a fun and satisfying read... and a hot one at that! I look forward to reading more from this series now that all the key Ballsy Boys players have been well-established.
March 29, 2023
This was actually unexpectedly sweet and touching
May 20, 2020
***4.25 Stars***
If a break-up artist and commitment-phobe like myself and a porn star can't do casual, then who can?
I loved this book! So addicting and impossible to put down.
You think you're gonna get one thing when you start, but you get so much more. Raunchy good times, a great cast of characters....and then you're slapped with some feels.
I love how sex positive this book is. There's no shaming the porn industry or those who participate in the creation or viewing of it. And I love that!
Troy and Rebel/Hendrix had fantastic chemistry. Their vulnerabilities were well developed and definitely tugged at the heartstrings. Even though I thought Troy's switch was flipped a little too quickly at the end, I'm also thankful that it wasn't dragged out into unnecessary drama.
You're introduced to a lot of folks in this book, but it was easy for me to follow (even though I think some of the Porn nicknames are a little wacky....Campy? Heart? Pixie? - - which by the way, there were one too many uses of the word "imp" to describe Pixie).
The large cast of characters didn't feel like an information dump or people forced on the reader in order to intrigue you for future books. Each character was someone in Rebel or Troy's life. You genuinely get a sense of each man's world.
Another thing this book had that I loved....great banter! I really liked how Troy and Rebel used sex as their get out of jail free card when the emotions became too much or too real.
Troy: Is it technically porn when you send me a dick pic?
Rebel: Dictionary definition yes because porn is any image or explicit description used for a sensual purpose (says Google). But in a colloquial sense, I'd say no because we don't usually consider dick pics porn, we consider them "sexting"
Troy: Is it weird that I'm even more turned on by how smart you sound right now than by your dick pic?
Rebel: Not to make this weird, and I know you're allergic to emotions and shit, but that really means a lot to me to hear you say
Troy: Yup, you made it weird. LOL
Rebel: Asshole
Troy: You like my asshole, dick
Rebel: You like my dick
Troy: We seem to be at an impasse here. Maybe your dick and my asshole can work this out later
Rebel: Count on it ;)
Another thing I loved? The authors didn't use the cliche of Rebel, the porn star, having a tragic backstory or a troubled youth. His family was wacky, supporting and just heartwarmingly loving.
And the authors brought just the right amount of feels with Troy. His issues with rejection really got me, and I love how Rebel pushed but never shoved.
No wonder he has a hard time building friendships and relationships. No one has apparently ever stuck around long enough for him to even know what those words mean.
I guess I'll have to show him.
There were a couple of plot points that were lost along the way (like what ever happend with Troy's break-up job? It was never mentioned again after he met Rebel? The whole reason he had the job was to pay for school....what happened with all that? How'd he pay for school since he was threatened by the financial aid person that he wouldn't be able to register if he didn't pay).
But even with my issues, I devoured this book! I'd never read either of these authors, but I'm definitely going to look into their other books.
But first....I'm off to jump into book 2 becuase I NEEEEEED Tank and Brewer's story!!!
And there BETTER be something coming down the line with
October 23, 2019
Plot, what plot? Is there a thing as too much sex in a romance book? After listening to this, I have to confess: yes, yes, there is!
The first 80% of this book was a series of sexcapades connected by repetitive dialogue and internal monologues. Sure, the sex was hot, but that’s all that this was—hook up after hook up. Porn scene, after porn scene. It actually got old and I found myself skipping past the scenes.
The writing was choppy, inconsistent, and repetitive. There were “plot points” the writers never got back to, which left me wondering why they were written in the first place. We had very abrupt scene changes that proved confusing in the audiobook version since I didn’t have a visual clue of a gap in the middle of a page.
The plot was...hard to swallow—pun intended. We had a character who doesn’t get close to people because of being hurt in the past. He has zero friends. No one calls him. He says this repeatedly. We get it. Obi’s voice choice for this character, Troy, was grating—he didn’t sound like the gorgeous, hot, masc guy he was supposed to be. The nasally voice he used was just wrong. Rebel’s voice was great, but spooooo slow that it just dragged out the pain of the bad writing. And Rebel himself was a cutie—the only high point of this book.
I could give you tons of examples of the repetitive and inconsistent nature of the writing and character descriptions, but I simply don’t care enough about this book to write them for you.
I’ve read books by these writers before and liked them well enough. I thought I’d be in for a treat—boy was I ever wrong!
The first 80% of this book was a series of sexcapades connected by repetitive dialogue and internal monologues. Sure, the sex was hot, but that’s all that this was—hook up after hook up. Porn scene, after porn scene. It actually got old and I found myself skipping past the scenes.
The writing was choppy, inconsistent, and repetitive. There were “plot points” the writers never got back to, which left me wondering why they were written in the first place. We had very abrupt scene changes that proved confusing in the audiobook version since I didn’t have a visual clue of a gap in the middle of a page.
The plot was...hard to swallow—pun intended. We had a character who doesn’t get close to people because of being hurt in the past. He has zero friends. No one calls him. He says this repeatedly. We get it. Obi’s voice choice for this character, Troy, was grating—he didn’t sound like the gorgeous, hot, masc guy he was supposed to be. The nasally voice he used was just wrong. Rebel’s voice was great, but spooooo slow that it just dragged out the pain of the bad writing. And Rebel himself was a cutie—the only high point of this book.
I could give you tons of examples of the repetitive and inconsistent nature of the writing and character descriptions, but I simply don’t care enough about this book to write them for you.
I’ve read books by these writers before and liked them well enough. I thought I’d be in for a treat—boy was I ever wrong!
June 4, 2018
3.5 stars
"Rebel" is the first book in the Ballsy Boys series, but I did things a bit backwards and read Tank first. Maybe that lessened my enjoyment of this book, because I already knew some things about Rebel and Troy's relationship and knew what would happen from mentions in the second book but I still liked getting their full story.
These books are standalones but I think they should be read in order. It's clear that they are parts of a series, even if the main characters are different for each one. They are still connected in a way that you can't separate them. I read "Tank" first and even though I didn't have any problem getting into the story and I loved Tank and Brewer I can see how much more I would have enjoyed it if I had read "Rebel" first.
As I said, in the second book we get some spoilers about Rebel and Troy's relationship so I knew from the beginning what would happen near the end of the book. Also, "Rebel" contains the events that lead to the scene of Tank and Brewer together which was the start of them getting over their hostility. We also see them here acting pissy towards each other and get a glimpse of all that hatred that was present between them from the moment they met. In the second book, there are no descriptions of characters except for one making his first appearance there. I was hoping that was because they had already been described here and I'm happy to say that was exactly the case. In "Rebel" we get the descreptions of all the characters that I felt were missing from "Tank".
On to the actual plot of the book.
It's a casual-to-serious trope that was very nicely done. Troy had a fear of abandonment because of his past and he had voted to never get close enough to anyone so that no one could ever hurt him by leaving. Rebel on the other hand wanted a relationship but had been unlucky in the past and had decided that he could never have a boyfriend while still working in porn because nobody would be okay with that.
Rebel had an amazing and super supportive family, their get togethers were great, funny and lighthearted. I couldn't wait to read what would come out of his mother's or sister's mouth next. He had chosen to do porn and his family knew about it and supported him. He wanted to remain part of the business, but he also wanted to settle down with someone, so he was trying to find a way to fit both into his life.
The story got a bit teary near the end and I could have done without it, but it was still nice to see Troy starting to work through his emotional issues. All in all the plot was good, though I liked the second book more and I think Tank is my favorite character so far. Let's see what the rest of these guys' stories will bring us!
This review has been cross-posted on The Novel Approach Reviews.
*A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher via The Novel Approach Reviews in exchange for an honest review. *
"Rebel" is the first book in the Ballsy Boys series, but I did things a bit backwards and read Tank first. Maybe that lessened my enjoyment of this book, because I already knew some things about Rebel and Troy's relationship and knew what would happen from mentions in the second book but I still liked getting their full story.
These books are standalones but I think they should be read in order. It's clear that they are parts of a series, even if the main characters are different for each one. They are still connected in a way that you can't separate them. I read "Tank" first and even though I didn't have any problem getting into the story and I loved Tank and Brewer I can see how much more I would have enjoyed it if I had read "Rebel" first.
As I said, in the second book we get some spoilers about Rebel and Troy's relationship so I knew from the beginning what would happen near the end of the book. Also, "Rebel" contains the events that lead to the scene of Tank and Brewer together which was the start of them getting over their hostility. We also see them here acting pissy towards each other and get a glimpse of all that hatred that was present between them from the moment they met. In the second book, there are no descriptions of characters except for one making his first appearance there. I was hoping that was because they had already been described here and I'm happy to say that was exactly the case. In "Rebel" we get the descreptions of all the characters that I felt were missing from "Tank".
On to the actual plot of the book.
It's a casual-to-serious trope that was very nicely done. Troy had a fear of abandonment because of his past and he had voted to never get close enough to anyone so that no one could ever hurt him by leaving. Rebel on the other hand wanted a relationship but had been unlucky in the past and had decided that he could never have a boyfriend while still working in porn because nobody would be okay with that.
Rebel had an amazing and super supportive family, their get togethers were great, funny and lighthearted. I couldn't wait to read what would come out of his mother's or sister's mouth next. He had chosen to do porn and his family knew about it and supported him. He wanted to remain part of the business, but he also wanted to settle down with someone, so he was trying to find a way to fit both into his life.
The story got a bit teary near the end and I could have done without it, but it was still nice to see Troy starting to work through his emotional issues. All in all the plot was good, though I liked the second book more and I think Tank is my favorite character so far. Let's see what the rest of these guys' stories will bring us!
This review has been cross-posted on The Novel Approach Reviews.
*A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher via The Novel Approach Reviews in exchange for an honest review. *
Want to read
February 2, 2019Kindle freebie 2/2/19!
July 28, 2018
Anyone expecting books from me any time soon can blame K.M. Neuhold and Nora Phoenix for the delay, because these boys captivated me and controlled my life for all of yesterday. Hubby said I was wasting the day. I asked for a divorce.
In all truth, I almost gave up in chapter two for these reasons:
Like the rentboy trope, reading about porn stars means the MCs are gonna be with other people sexually (duh). I somehow don't mind it in a rent boy book, so I thought I'd be okay with this. But the first scene with Rebel and one of his co-stars seemed overly explicit and kinda left me BLAAAH and jealous for Troy, even though the MCs hadn't even met yet.
I spent probably an hour yesterday asking myself what was wrong with me. I almost came to the conclusion that to get into explicit sex I must need the characters to be in love or working their way towards love. But then I freaked out about being a closeted romantic and made myself feel sick. Because eww.
Cue getting over that in the very next chapter, and then: OMG THIS BOOK IS AMAZEBALLS.
I love how Troy and Rebel's relationship develops. The grand gesture was a little anti-climactic but the rest of the book and the ending more than make up for it. <3 LOVE LOVE LOVE.
LOVE.
Did I say I loved it yet?
I'm diving straight into Tank. Guess today will be another "wasted" day according to my soon-to-be ex-husband.
**While these are technical standalones, I actually tried to read Heart first as it caught my eye when it recently came out. It opens with a scene with Mason, and I got the impression readers are already supposed to know who he is. So I put it down and went back to book one, and now I'm more excited for Heart. So while they could be read as standalone, I recommend reading in order :) But I DEFINITELY recommend reading them!**
In all truth, I almost gave up in chapter two for these reasons:
Like the rentboy trope, reading about porn stars means the MCs are gonna be with other people sexually (duh). I somehow don't mind it in a rent boy book, so I thought I'd be okay with this. But the first scene with Rebel and one of his co-stars seemed overly explicit and kinda left me BLAAAH and jealous for Troy, even though the MCs hadn't even met yet.
I spent probably an hour yesterday asking myself what was wrong with me. I almost came to the conclusion that to get into explicit sex I must need the characters to be in love or working their way towards love. But then I freaked out about being a closeted romantic and made myself feel sick. Because eww.
Cue getting over that in the very next chapter, and then: OMG THIS BOOK IS AMAZEBALLS.
I love how Troy and Rebel's relationship develops. The grand gesture was a little anti-climactic but the rest of the book and the ending more than make up for it. <3 LOVE LOVE LOVE.
LOVE.
Did I say I loved it yet?
I'm diving straight into Tank. Guess today will be another "wasted" day according to my soon-to-be ex-husband.
**While these are technical standalones, I actually tried to read Heart first as it caught my eye when it recently came out. It opens with a scene with Mason, and I got the impression readers are already supposed to know who he is. So I put it down and went back to book one, and now I'm more excited for Heart. So while they could be read as standalone, I recommend reading in order :) But I DEFINITELY recommend reading them!**
June 3, 2019
Surprisingly enjoyable.
Surprising because this is a new to me author.
Surprising because I wasn’t sure how much plot I could expect.
Surprising because I’m always a bit wary when it comes to romance involving porn stars.
KM Neuhold made me throw out all my preconceived ideas.
She introduces Rebel and all the members of Ballsy Boys in this first book of the series and made me really care about them. All of them, although this is of course Rebel’s story.
Rebel is such a great guy, full of smiles and genuinely invested in his job. Only trouble about it is, that it seriously interferes with his love life. I loved his unapologetic love of sex and his free and joyful delight in it.
The latter can be said for Troy, too. These guys just match each other in desire, playfulness and sexual appetite and it was actually fun rather than tedious to watch them indulge in their passion for each other. And may I say that these boys know what they are doing and what they are doing is hot-hot-hot.
I got why Troy finds it hard to commit, why opening up and loving someone looks like the worst thing on earth to him, but the solution came a little bit too easy and pain-free in the end.
Another highlight I need to mention are Rebel’s parents. Ah,h you simply got to love those hippy guys who aren’t afraid to talk sex over dinner! Lots of chuckles here.
This was fun-fun-fun. Off to read book 2!
Surprising because this is a new to me author.
Surprising because I wasn’t sure how much plot I could expect.
Surprising because I’m always a bit wary when it comes to romance involving porn stars.
KM Neuhold made me throw out all my preconceived ideas.
She introduces Rebel and all the members of Ballsy Boys in this first book of the series and made me really care about them. All of them, although this is of course Rebel’s story.
Rebel is such a great guy, full of smiles and genuinely invested in his job. Only trouble about it is, that it seriously interferes with his love life. I loved his unapologetic love of sex and his free and joyful delight in it.
The latter can be said for Troy, too. These guys just match each other in desire, playfulness and sexual appetite and it was actually fun rather than tedious to watch them indulge in their passion for each other. And may I say that these boys know what they are doing and what they are doing is hot-hot-hot.
I got why Troy finds it hard to commit, why opening up and loving someone looks like the worst thing on earth to him, but the solution came a little bit too easy and pain-free in the end.
Another highlight I need to mention are Rebel’s parents. Ah,h you simply got to love those hippy guys who aren’t afraid to talk sex over dinner! Lots of chuckles here.
This was fun-fun-fun. Off to read book 2!
January 27, 2018
This book is filthy - in the best possible way but it's also filled with great characters, great development, a well planned out setting and an enjoyable narrative.
There's lots of emotions in this collaboration from KM Neuhold and Nora Phoenix too, the friendships of the Ballsy Boys, the passion of the scenes they perform for the porn studio, the relationship which develops between Rebel/Hendricks and Troy, the familial love of Rebel's hippie parents and extended family.
There's lots of great sex scenes too - from the heated porn scenes to the emotional encounters between Rebel and Troy when "feelings" start to creep in.
The book is also quite funny at times and serious at others. It examines, in a smaller way, feelings of abandonment that someone growing up in the care system can experience, and it also looks in a very positive way (which I applaud) at the porn industry.
I liked all the Ballsy Balls crew and I'm looking forward to reading more of their romances.
#ARC kindly received from the authors in return for an honest and unbiased review
There's lots of emotions in this collaboration from KM Neuhold and Nora Phoenix too, the friendships of the Ballsy Boys, the passion of the scenes they perform for the porn studio, the relationship which develops between Rebel/Hendricks and Troy, the familial love of Rebel's hippie parents and extended family.
There's lots of great sex scenes too - from the heated porn scenes to the emotional encounters between Rebel and Troy when "feelings" start to creep in.
The book is also quite funny at times and serious at others. It examines, in a smaller way, feelings of abandonment that someone growing up in the care system can experience, and it also looks in a very positive way (which I applaud) at the porn industry.
I liked all the Ballsy Balls crew and I'm looking forward to reading more of their romances.
#ARC kindly received from the authors in return for an honest and unbiased review
April 9, 2018
The way they meet is just really funny. Troy earns some money to do break ups.. for others.
A shit job of course but he needs the money to finance his game designer study.
So there he stands in a banana party outfit waiting for the guy to open the door and when the door opens there stands.....Rebel...his favorite porn star Rebel from the best porn site Ballsy Boys!! So he just can't do it right, because who the hell dumps a porn star, so he offers him a blowjob... to his surprise Rebel agrees...
Rebel really likes Troy and Troy... likes to fuck Rebel, nothing more, sure no friends or something. No way Rebel can touch his heart, he only can touch his dick.
Rebel is very considerate and consistent with Troy and knows how to play it cool through sex with him. Troy doesn't want anything as friends, only friends with benefits, and Rebel is great at that. But one way or the other they hook up a lot and do more things together and Troy has to admit maybe they are sort of friends.
We meet Rebel at work as a porn star and all his colleagues. I love the freedom of sexy porn and the connection between all. We also meet Rebel his amazing family and hardworking Troy who has nothing of this all. There is a lot of raw and heavy sex between Troy and Rebel in this story and I think everyone will smack me if I say 'a bit too' so I won't say it...oops… I did already lol… romantic me just missed some lovemaking.
When Troy realizes he is with Rebel in the middle of something… he don't want... he is gone.
A good written story, very dynamic, with humor and also serious problems, there are some very emotional parts that made me cry. The story is good developed, has a great plot and is very entertaining.
Read and reviewed for Diverse Reader
A shit job of course but he needs the money to finance his game designer study.
So there he stands in a banana party outfit waiting for the guy to open the door and when the door opens there stands.....Rebel...his favorite porn star Rebel from the best porn site Ballsy Boys!! So he just can't do it right, because who the hell dumps a porn star, so he offers him a blowjob... to his surprise Rebel agrees...
Rebel really likes Troy and Troy... likes to fuck Rebel, nothing more, sure no friends or something. No way Rebel can touch his heart, he only can touch his dick.
Rebel is very considerate and consistent with Troy and knows how to play it cool through sex with him. Troy doesn't want anything as friends, only friends with benefits, and Rebel is great at that. But one way or the other they hook up a lot and do more things together and Troy has to admit maybe they are sort of friends.
We meet Rebel at work as a porn star and all his colleagues. I love the freedom of sexy porn and the connection between all. We also meet Rebel his amazing family and hardworking Troy who has nothing of this all. There is a lot of raw and heavy sex between Troy and Rebel in this story and I think everyone will smack me if I say 'a bit too' so I won't say it...oops… I did already lol… romantic me just missed some lovemaking.
When Troy realizes he is with Rebel in the middle of something… he don't want... he is gone.
A good written story, very dynamic, with humor and also serious problems, there are some very emotional parts that made me cry. The story is good developed, has a great plot and is very entertaining.
Read and reviewed for Diverse Reader
January 28, 2020
Well, I actually liked the little snippets of plot between all the sex scenes.....
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
August 10, 2018
I enjoyed this book more than I thought ... I kind of changed the Ballsy Boys to the Cockyboys and the rest was history!! This was actually a sweet romance and Rebel deserves a medal for his persistence and patience. He clearly adored Troy, who just needed to get with the program. Troy really suffered with a fear of rejection after a harsh childhood but he was continually drawn to Rebel. This was their story with some fab friends involved.
December 13, 2019
Interesting story, with lots of humor, and tons and tons and tons of sex...
I liked the way these two guys gradually fall for each other over the course of the story. It's well written and nicely done. A good set-up for the future of this series, it's an interesting premise and I'm sure works as each of these guys gets their story.
I listened to the audiobook and Kenneth Obi turns in a solid performance.
an audiobook copy of Rebel was provided to me for my fair and honest review
I liked the way these two guys gradually fall for each other over the course of the story. It's well written and nicely done. A good set-up for the future of this series, it's an interesting premise and I'm sure works as each of these guys gets their story.
I listened to the audiobook and Kenneth Obi turns in a solid performance.
an audiobook copy of Rebel was provided to me for my fair and honest review
January 21, 2020
I started this book several days ago. It has taken me all of those to finish this book (I did a combo of reading and listening). Anyone that knows me KNOWS it doesn’t typically take me several days to read a book. After it took almost a week to get to 58%, I decided I needed to either finish this or mark it as DNF. (Actually, I told myself to sh*t or get off the pot😇). Anyway🙄. I finished, but it was a struggle.
Here’s the deal. I really liked Rebel. I had trouble with Troy. It took entirely too long for him to get with the program. Each time he pushed Rebel away, I wanted to knock him in the back of the head. Yes he has his issues, but damn! I should not still have questions about the status of their relationship at the 80% mark. I just shouldn’t. Also, though I can’t imagine having a significant other in the porn industry, I didn’t like
I liked the secondary characters, so I’m willing to give the next book a try. If it’s nothing but sex with no forward momentum, I’ll peace out with no regrets.
Here’s the deal. I really liked Rebel. I had trouble with Troy. It took entirely too long for him to get with the program. Each time he pushed Rebel away, I wanted to knock him in the back of the head. Yes he has his issues, but damn! I should not still have questions about the status of their relationship at the 80% mark. I just shouldn’t. Also, though I can’t imagine having a significant other in the porn industry, I didn’t like
I liked the secondary characters, so I’m willing to give the next book a try. If it’s nothing but sex with no forward momentum, I’ll peace out with no regrets.
April 10, 2021
4 Stars!! HOTNESS ALERT 🔥🔥🔥 Despite the subject-matter (ahem); this book was surprisingly good. I loved both the MCs and their backgrounds. The connection between them felt real; the chemistry was smoking hot and the story had a unique setting and yet it had the same push and pull of a good old fashioned romance. I was surprised by how much I liked Rebel (or Hendrix); his level headedness, his patience with Troy and genuine care for his friends. I can't believe how intrigued I am by all the other Ballsy Boys and I can't wait to read Pixie and Campy's stories.
September 18, 2018
Well hell...I can't wait to read the next one!
Really liked this cute, sweet, sexy story.
The last 15-20% took it from a 3 to a 4. Angsty but happy feels. 🤗
Really liked this cute, sweet, sexy story.
The last 15-20% took it from a 3 to a 4. Angsty but happy feels. 🤗
February 26, 2019
Troy is a guy doing his best to make it on his own, since his past has left him cynical about any kind of human connection. A chance meeting puts him on the doorstep of his favorite porn actor, at a vulnerable moment for both of them. Rebel likes sex, and Troy turns his crank, and they both are happy to have a fuck-buddy relationship with no strings going on. Troy figures a porn star won't ever push for more of a relationship than he wants. Rebel likes that Troy knows about and approves of his job, so it won't become a source of conflict.
Except Rebel likes people as much as sex, and has a warm family background that makes him believe in love. And Troy is lonelier than he has let himself recognize. This was lighter and more fun than the set-up could have made it. Once the guys start really getting together, there was less conflict and angst than I expected, and things kind of fast-forwarded. But it was a fun ride, I liked the characters well enough to care about their HEA, and there are some interesting side characters whose stories I am curious about.
I was a bit disappointed at the end But I still enjoyed it and I'll put the next book on my TBRs.
Except Rebel likes people as much as sex, and has a warm family background that makes him believe in love. And Troy is lonelier than he has let himself recognize. This was lighter and more fun than the set-up could have made it. Once the guys start really getting together, there was less conflict and angst than I expected, and things kind of fast-forwarded. But it was a fun ride, I liked the characters well enough to care about their HEA, and there are some interesting side characters whose stories I am curious about.
I was a bit disappointed at the end But I still enjoyed it and I'll put the next book on my TBRs.
November 21, 2020
The writing was good and the story very enjoyable. There was a lot of sex, which isn't something I generally enjoy (though I can, at times), but here it was such an extension of who the MCs are - two playful guys who really enjoy having sex - that I enjoyed it right alongside with them.
The first 80% of the book is kind of slow, almost sluggish & there's a lot of laying down groundwork for future books. The rest was kind of rushed in comparison. 3.5 stars, rounded up.
The first 80% of the book is kind of slow, almost sluggish & there's a lot of laying down groundwork for future books. The rest was kind of rushed in comparison. 3.5 stars, rounded up.
May 6, 2018
Hard to like a book when the professional and personal background of the entire cast is porn without any insertion from real life - and porn of the tritest, most parochially and comically American variety to boot; come on, ladies, could you try to emulate studios like Bel Ami who strive to project a more upbeat and warm image of their activities instead of harking back to the tired values of the Californian adult movie making industry? - and when the two main characters show no development from beginning to end, as they remain a quintessentially faux-profound busybody (Troy, whom I can hardly reconcile with the man dressed as a giant banana coming to break up with someone on behalf of a customer we get to see early in an outrageous scene) and a vapid, shit-for-brains, yet utterly conceited, clone of Jeff Stryker whose appeal never ever grows from his fleshy attributes to his personality and interpersonal abilities (Rebel, whose entire being allows itself to be summarized by one single extract from his POV: "I'm fucking him into the wall, and he's loving it. He closes his eyes, his mouth dropping open as a constant stream of erotic sounds fall from his lips. I want to feel those words, eat them, and I take his mouth in a hot kiss, greedily drinking in his every moan and mewl. His muscles spasm, and he bites my lip with force as he comes, spurting hot liquid between our bodies. So. Fucking. Hot."). Add the clunky writing, unnatural quality of both Troy and Rebel's dialogues (the former hero, in particular, abuses stock sentences, leading straight to countless pages littered with a profusion of such gems as "sex is natural and fun", "I always say the only way to get over one man is to get under another", "never say never") and too many instances of gross or tasteless psychology (Rebel's career has been micromanaged from the start by his close family, to the extent that none of them ever bats an eye no matter what scenes their son / brother is making!), and you get a majorly unhappy reviewer. Two stars because of a few promising secondary characters and since the joint authors do not seem woefully incapable of doing better, though the plotline, the main cast, and the romance all litter the ground in a manner worthy of zero star.
January 11, 2024
I really enjoyed this book, it was exactly what I was in the mood for.
Some of the writing and dialogue was a little bit immature and I found the premise of Troy being paid to dump people as a vehicle to meeting Rebel, bizarre and unnecessary.
I loved both the main characters, they were distinct and likeable and I think the authors actually did a really good job of making the reader buy into why Troy was such a commitment phobe which is something other books I’ve read with similar tropes have struggled.
There were some slightly heavier and emotional bits near the end that were a little rushed but still written sensitively.
The smut was smutty, playful and enjoyable to read. Looking forward to some enemies-to-lovers in Tank and Brewer’s book.
Some of the writing and dialogue was a little bit immature and I found the premise of Troy being paid to dump people as a vehicle to meeting Rebel, bizarre and unnecessary.
I loved both the main characters, they were distinct and likeable and I think the authors actually did a really good job of making the reader buy into why Troy was such a commitment phobe which is something other books I’ve read with similar tropes have struggled.
There were some slightly heavier and emotional bits near the end that were a little rushed but still written sensitively.
The smut was smutty, playful and enjoyable to read. Looking forward to some enemies-to-lovers in Tank and Brewer’s book.
May 4, 2021
I was a bit reluctant on starting this series because all of the main characters are porn stars. Yes, the description says NO cheating but it still stings a little knowing that one of the MCs is still having sex with other people while seeing the other MC - even if they are okay with it. It’s my own personal hang up, I know. I tried to not let that affect my opinion of the book though since I knew all of that before getting into this series.
Rebel (real name Hendrix) has been with the Ballsy Boys for 6 years and every single one of his boyfriends he’s tried to have a relationship with dump him because of his job as a porn star. That or they try to give him an ultimatum and he’s not having that.
Troy grew up in foster homes and has a fear of abandonment so he never lets anyone close to begin with, always having a string of one night stands, no going past one date and no sleeping over. He’s going to school and he also has a gig as the “dude who will break up with someone for you” which is how he met Rebel in the first place. Another dude was paying Troy to break up with Rebel.
It was seriously awkward the way they met. Rebel is Troy’s fave porn star; he was jacking off to his videos in chapter 1. So after he “breaks up” with Rebel he offers to give him a blow job. And Rebel’s just like “sure, whatevs.” 🤦🏼♀️ I dunno, it felt weird to me.
Anyway, they keep hooking up and Troy has no problem with Rebel being a porn star. Weeks after they started the whole “friends with benefits” thing, he watched Rebel’s new video that was filmed during the time they were kind of “together” and he has no jealously whatsoever. He actually got all hot and bothered about it.
That’s not to say there wasn’t jealously, it just wasn’t over Rebel��s job. There was a random stripper that gave Rebel a lap dance and offered some more private one on one time outside of the club, and later on a waiter hitting on Rebel right in front of Troy - and Troy got jealous as fuck.
I can definitely read that Troy had no issues whatsoever with the porn thing but my own personal feelings kept trying to butt in... so it was a little hard for me.
The sex though... 🥵 It was hot. There were plenty of sex scenes between Rebel and Troy. Lots of making out like madmen, lots of blowjobs, hand jobs, fucking each other different ways because they’re both vers... all over the house - on the couch, against the wall, in the shower, on the bed... and then the rimming. Oh fuckkkk. So hot. 🔥🔥 Then we also got little snippets of sex on set between Rebel and the new guy Pixie at the beginning and then a threesome scene involving some of the other characters. These weren’t super in depth or anything but man.
Aside from all of that, this book was super easy to read. I flew through the whole thing and never once felt bored. Kind of frustrated at Troy and his whole “no relationships, I don’t DO that” attitude over and over... but hey. What can ya do? I felt the way Rebel reacted with a kind of hurt expression during those times where Troy acted all freaked out. Especially when Rebel’s feelings grew into love? Ugh, my heart.
At least the ending ended pretty happily. I can always appreciate that.
I really want to continue on with the series even though I know it probably won’t be my absolute favorite, but I am intrigued enough about the other characters to want to read their stories.
Overall I’d give this a 3.75⭐️ rounded up. I wanted to like this more but my own personal feelings got in the way. I know other people who don’t have that issue will definitely enjoy this more.
POV: Dual 1st person
Rebel (real name Hendrix) has been with the Ballsy Boys for 6 years and every single one of his boyfriends he’s tried to have a relationship with dump him because of his job as a porn star. That or they try to give him an ultimatum and he’s not having that.
Troy grew up in foster homes and has a fear of abandonment so he never lets anyone close to begin with, always having a string of one night stands, no going past one date and no sleeping over. He’s going to school and he also has a gig as the “dude who will break up with someone for you” which is how he met Rebel in the first place. Another dude was paying Troy to break up with Rebel.
It was seriously awkward the way they met. Rebel is Troy’s fave porn star; he was jacking off to his videos in chapter 1. So after he “breaks up” with Rebel he offers to give him a blow job. And Rebel’s just like “sure, whatevs.” 🤦🏼♀️ I dunno, it felt weird to me.
Anyway, they keep hooking up and Troy has no problem with Rebel being a porn star. Weeks after they started the whole “friends with benefits” thing, he watched Rebel’s new video that was filmed during the time they were kind of “together” and he has no jealously whatsoever. He actually got all hot and bothered about it.
That’s not to say there wasn’t jealously, it just wasn’t over Rebel��s job. There was a random stripper that gave Rebel a lap dance and offered some more private one on one time outside of the club, and later on a waiter hitting on Rebel right in front of Troy - and Troy got jealous as fuck.
I can definitely read that Troy had no issues whatsoever with the porn thing but my own personal feelings kept trying to butt in... so it was a little hard for me.
The sex though... 🥵 It was hot. There were plenty of sex scenes between Rebel and Troy. Lots of making out like madmen, lots of blowjobs, hand jobs, fucking each other different ways because they’re both vers... all over the house - on the couch, against the wall, in the shower, on the bed... and then the rimming. Oh fuckkkk. So hot. 🔥🔥 Then we also got little snippets of sex on set between Rebel and the new guy Pixie at the beginning and then a threesome scene involving some of the other characters. These weren’t super in depth or anything but man.
Aside from all of that, this book was super easy to read. I flew through the whole thing and never once felt bored. Kind of frustrated at Troy and his whole “no relationships, I don’t DO that” attitude over and over... but hey. What can ya do? I felt the way Rebel reacted with a kind of hurt expression during those times where Troy acted all freaked out. Especially when Rebel’s feelings grew into love? Ugh, my heart.
At least the ending ended pretty happily. I can always appreciate that.
I really want to continue on with the series even though I know it probably won’t be my absolute favorite, but I am intrigued enough about the other characters to want to read their stories.
Overall I’d give this a 3.75⭐️ rounded up. I wanted to like this more but my own personal feelings got in the way. I know other people who don’t have that issue will definitely enjoy this more.
POV: Dual 1st person
September 7, 2018
Hendrix
3.5 stars
Hey, even p*rn has to have a story line lol
This book was more than just s3×, granted there was plenty of that, there was also heart in it.
Troy and Rebel, aka Hendrix, meet when Troy is paid to break up with Rebel. Rebel just happens to be Troy's favorite p0rn star. Yeah you read that right. Rebel works for Ballsy Boy productions one of the most popular gay p0rn sites online. When Troy realizes this happy coincidence he offers Rebel a bl0wj0b to mend the "heartbreak" and the rest is history as they say.
Ok, maybe it wasn't that easy since Troy has a ton of baggage. Luckily for him, Rebel has the patience of a saint. What was suppose to be just s3× turns into more. Rebel just has to show Troy that there are some people in life who are worth letting your walls down.
3.5 stars
Hey, even p*rn has to have a story line lol
This book was more than just s3×, granted there was plenty of that, there was also heart in it.
Troy and Rebel, aka Hendrix, meet when Troy is paid to break up with Rebel. Rebel just happens to be Troy's favorite p0rn star. Yeah you read that right. Rebel works for Ballsy Boy productions one of the most popular gay p0rn sites online. When Troy realizes this happy coincidence he offers Rebel a bl0wj0b to mend the "heartbreak" and the rest is history as they say.
Ok, maybe it wasn't that easy since Troy has a ton of baggage. Luckily for him, Rebel has the patience of a saint. What was suppose to be just s3× turns into more. Rebel just has to show Troy that there are some people in life who are worth letting your walls down.
August 12, 2018
*3.5 stars*
not-interested
February 2, 2019Freebie at the zon.com right now: https://smile.amazon.com/Rebel-Ballsy...
February 27, 2024
Read for the second time.
no angst ✔ fastpaced read ✔ highly likable MC (Hendrix) ✔ 🍌boy ✔
no angst ✔ fastpaced read ✔ highly likable MC (Hendrix) ✔ 🍌boy ✔
August 17, 2020
3 Stars
I consider myself a pretty open-minded person, but some aspects of the plot just went too far for me and frankly weirded me out. Cheating doesn't bother me, although I wouldn't really classify what happens as that. Due to Rebel's job as a porn star, sexual situations with other characters are inevitable - I was totally okay with that. What I wasn't so much on board with were the sexual things with people outside of work *cough* stripper *cough*.
Rebel and Troy have a fuck buddy relationship that slowly evolves into a relationship. During this time, Rebel is still doing his job and Troy was okay with that. Although being friends with all the guys your boyfriend's slept with isn't something that I would ever find appealing, kudos to Troy. It would have been easy to make Troy bitter and the story an angst-fest, so I appreciated that the authors did something different. I did find it odd that seemingly every man Rebel ran into was not only gay but recognized Rebel from his videos and was a huge fan. Not realistic, IMO. The thing with the stripper just annoyed me, although Troy technically consented to it. I get it - they weren't dating, but still. Rebel's job is one thing, however, random guys are a whole different story. This is more personal preference as, again, I wouldn't really define it as cheating.
What really weirded me out was Rebel's mom and, to an extent, the rest of his family. I love that they were supportive of Rebel, both of his sexuality and career choice, but I draw the line at his mother being an avid watcher of the porn website and watching videos of his fellow porn star friends. On top of that, she loved to discuss Rebel's work with him. I just found it unsettling and quite frankly weird.
However, my main gripe would have to be the writing style. There are SO many time jumps with a summarized re-tellings, my number one pet peeve. It almost read as PWP as it felt we were just jumping from sex scene to sex scenes. The funny part is, however, that the sex scenes weren't even that good. Quality over quantity is a real thing and was largely forgotten. While there were an abundance of sexual scenes, they were pretty short and had little detail. One quirk, if you will, that I noticed was the foreplay tended to be given more page space than the actual sex. As soon as penetration happened, it would become summarized and almost fade to black in a sense. For that reason, I wouldn't recommend reading this for the sex. There may be a lot of it, but the steam is rather low.
Besides the sex aspect of the plot, each MC was given one storyline to act as their depth and development. For Troy, that was being abandoned by his parents at the age of six and growing up in foster care, therefore developing commitment and trust issues. For Rebel, that was his bond with his fellow porn stars, who are also his close friends, and his hippie/supportive family. Much of the "depth" was told, not shown, to us. It didn't make me feel connected to the characters, particularly Troy. His storyline was wrapped up in a quick, pretty little bow at the end that was laughably unrealistic and obviously just written in to tie up the story. I did enjoy seeing Troy's friendship with Mason grow and am curious how his book, Heart, pans out. In general, I love the whole group of guys and thought they were all great supporting characters. I would consider the ending HFN, although I know the boys will feature in the rest of the series so I'm sure you will get updated on how they're doing.
While I had several issues with this story, overall I enjoyed it and thought it was cute. Cutting back on the abundance of sexual scenes and making them more detailed, stopping the summarizing nonsense, and making the depth given more on-page would have greatly enhanced this read for me. I'm not dying to read the other books in the series but I am interested in them; I only hope that the writing improves throughout the series.
Standalone - Other books within series:
Book 1: Rebel → 3 Stars
Book 2: Tank → 4 Stars
Book 3: Heart → 2 Stars
Book 4: Campy → did not read
Book 5: Pixie → tbr
I consider myself a pretty open-minded person, but some aspects of the plot just went too far for me and frankly weirded me out. Cheating doesn't bother me, although I wouldn't really classify what happens as that. Due to Rebel's job as a porn star, sexual situations with other characters are inevitable - I was totally okay with that. What I wasn't so much on board with were the sexual things with people outside of work *cough* stripper *cough*.
Rebel and Troy have a fuck buddy relationship that slowly evolves into a relationship. During this time, Rebel is still doing his job and Troy was okay with that. Although being friends with all the guys your boyfriend's slept with isn't something that I would ever find appealing, kudos to Troy. It would have been easy to make Troy bitter and the story an angst-fest, so I appreciated that the authors did something different. I did find it odd that seemingly every man Rebel ran into was not only gay but recognized Rebel from his videos and was a huge fan. Not realistic, IMO. The thing with the stripper just annoyed me, although Troy technically consented to it. I get it - they weren't dating, but still. Rebel's job is one thing, however, random guys are a whole different story. This is more personal preference as, again, I wouldn't really define it as cheating.
What really weirded me out was Rebel's mom and, to an extent, the rest of his family. I love that they were supportive of Rebel, both of his sexuality and career choice, but I draw the line at his mother being an avid watcher of the porn website and watching videos of his fellow porn star friends. On top of that, she loved to discuss Rebel's work with him. I just found it unsettling and quite frankly weird.
However, my main gripe would have to be the writing style. There are SO many time jumps with a summarized re-tellings, my number one pet peeve. It almost read as PWP as it felt we were just jumping from sex scene to sex scenes. The funny part is, however, that the sex scenes weren't even that good. Quality over quantity is a real thing and was largely forgotten. While there were an abundance of sexual scenes, they were pretty short and had little detail. One quirk, if you will, that I noticed was the foreplay tended to be given more page space than the actual sex. As soon as penetration happened, it would become summarized and almost fade to black in a sense. For that reason, I wouldn't recommend reading this for the sex. There may be a lot of it, but the steam is rather low.
Besides the sex aspect of the plot, each MC was given one storyline to act as their depth and development. For Troy, that was being abandoned by his parents at the age of six and growing up in foster care, therefore developing commitment and trust issues. For Rebel, that was his bond with his fellow porn stars, who are also his close friends, and his hippie/supportive family. Much of the "depth" was told, not shown, to us. It didn't make me feel connected to the characters, particularly Troy. His storyline was wrapped up in a quick, pretty little bow at the end that was laughably unrealistic and obviously just written in to tie up the story. I did enjoy seeing Troy's friendship with Mason grow and am curious how his book, Heart, pans out. In general, I love the whole group of guys and thought they were all great supporting characters. I would consider the ending HFN, although I know the boys will feature in the rest of the series so I'm sure you will get updated on how they're doing.
While I had several issues with this story, overall I enjoyed it and thought it was cute. Cutting back on the abundance of sexual scenes and making them more detailed, stopping the summarizing nonsense, and making the depth given more on-page would have greatly enhanced this read for me. I'm not dying to read the other books in the series but I am interested in them; I only hope that the writing improves throughout the series.
Standalone - Other books within series:
Book 1: Rebel → 3 Stars
Book 2: Tank → 4 Stars
Book 3: Heart → 2 Stars
Book 4: Campy → did not read
Book 5: Pixie → tbr
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